Postcard Lampshades

03/27/2011

Vacation is over. I'm back at the shop. If you have been following my blog, I often threat to put up my "Gone Skiing" sign. We just had a wintry week of spring skiing; only about 10 minutes of deck time, but the snow was great, even champagne powder. Over the years I've made a few ski lampshades for my family's condo. It's fun to give a personalized gift. I admit they are kind of corny, but they are perfect for a ski camp or summer beach house or your hunting trophies! Hunt for cards that are from your ski area or home town. Keep an eye out for them when your are out antiquing or fleamarketing. Check on ebay, too. This was a Christmas present a few years ago. Ski houses always have all kinds of ski posters, photos, etc. Even raid your photo albums. Cut and paste and head to your favorite laser printer. It's always a good conversation piece. Oh, remember the old days.... My mom was putting together some of our old ski photos.... here's a good laugh. Me at maybe 16??? sure not putting this one on any lampshades... But sure cracked me up! Thought you'd get a good laugh, too. But I did make a shade for my Dad's birthday a few years ago. See next photo. This was a huge hit. It's always hard to know what to get your Dad. I had Mom send me some old photos, ski news clippings, etc. You can personalize your own shade. Raid the family photo albums and make copies, laminate them onto pressure sensitive styrene and make up into a shade. Pick up a copy of my Lampshade Lady Book and follow The Vintage Postcard Shade directions.

Vacation's over and I can already feel the wonderful, poky winter coming to an end and the busy, bustling spring coming on. Shops will be calling with orders..... usually all at once....yikes. My April Workshops are quickly approaching; students are coming from all over the country. Only 2 spots left on the Thursday, April 14th class, Saturday is full. Give me a call if you want to hold a spot. Brimfield is fast approaching and will be here before I know it.

I am so ready for Spring!!!! Aren't you? We have all shoveled our fair share this winter; I can't remember a winter that I have shoveled as much. I am looking forward to my shop sign being delivered in the next few days. Roy Egg of West Pawlet painted my lampshade sign many years ago and it was time for it to be spruced up; the paint had faded and was peeling off. Roy just happened to stop by before I was headed away; it was great timing. Yipee, the sign will look so fresh for spring.

06/29/2010

Fini and I are featured in the new Yankee Magazine this summer. The new issue is just out and is a wonderful issue. The cover features an amazing Richard Schultz photograph of an island off of Penobscot Bay; it looks like many I sailed to as a kid in Casco Bay. I was known to take our sunfish out for a sail on a windy summer day and head out to one of the many islands. I'd drag my heavy sunfish down my friend Betsy's beach in Falmouth and off I'd go. Never a fear...and off I'd go. How many fond memories of my Maine childhood. Yes, I stayed mostly on the inside of Casco Bay!

And the full circle of life, the issue also features an article by Bill McKibben on the once hardscrabbled Vermont town of Hardwick and their famed cheese makers of Jasper Hill and High Mowing Seeds as well as mentioning the other highlights of the community.

From now on I maybe known as the Cat Lady instead of the Lampshade Lady. Fini my cat loves to wrap around your neck... The nice guy photographer from Yankee came to do the photo shoot of my lamp and shade project. We did the set up and then head shots of me:) He was just about to leave and silly of me, I showed him what Fini likes to do if he has a chance..... wrap around your neck. And he said great, let me shoot it.... famous last words. Oh, well, it is a pretty cute picture of Fini, pretty good for a scrappy stray that hasn't budged an inch since he showed up a year ago April. A real love bug.

P.S. Page 72-73 has a recipe for Rose-Petal Jam. I've been looking all over to buy it. Guess I will just have to start picking my Rosa Rugosa Petals, but they just don't get as big in Vermont's less than acid soil.